1. First description of naturally acquired Tritrichomonas foetus infection in a Persian cattery in Spain.
- Author
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Miró G, Hernández L, Montoya A, Arranz-Solís D, Dado D, Rojo-Montejo S, Mendoza-Ibarra JA, Ortega-Mora LM, and Pedraza-Díaz S
- Subjects
- Animals, Antigens, Protozoan analysis, Asymptomatic Infections, Australia, Breeding, Cat Diseases blood, Cat Diseases epidemiology, Cat Diseases immunology, Cat Diseases transmission, Cats, DNA, Protozoan analysis, Diarrhea epidemiology, Diarrhea veterinary, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay veterinary, Female, Leishmania infantum genetics, Leishmania infantum immunology, Leishmaniasis, Visceral epidemiology, Leishmaniasis, Visceral immunology, Leishmaniasis, Visceral transmission, Male, Polymerase Chain Reaction veterinary, Protozoan Infections blood, Protozoan Infections epidemiology, Protozoan Infections immunology, Protozoan Infections transmission, Seroepidemiologic Studies, Spain, Toxoplasma genetics, Toxoplasma immunology, Toxoplasmosis blood, Toxoplasmosis epidemiology, Toxoplasmosis immunology, Toxoplasmosis transmission, Tritrichomonas foetus genetics, Tritrichomonas foetus immunology, United States, Cat Diseases parasitology, Diarrhea parasitology, Feces parasitology, Leishmaniasis, Visceral parasitology, Protozoan Infections parasitology, Toxoplasmosis parasitology
- Abstract
Tritrichomonas foetus has been identified as the causative agent of feline intestinal trichomonosis, characterized by clinical signs of chronic large bowel diarrhoea. This disease has been reported in cats from the USA, Europe and Australia. However, its epidemiology is still unclear. The aim of the present study was to describe T. foetus infection in a Persian cattery in Spain. T. foetus infection was sequentially diagnosed in 20 cats by direct faecal smear examined under the microscope, specific culture (In Pouch TF medium) and PCR. A standard coprological sedimentation method was also performed in order to screen for other intestinal parasites in all the cats included. In addition, sera were tested for IgG antibodies against Leishmania infantum, Toxoplasma gondii, and for the detection of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukaemia virus (FeLV). Five out of 20 cats were positive for T. foetus (25%), two of them by microscopy, culture and PCR and three by culture and PCR. No association was found between T. foetus infection and age or sex. L. infantum and T. gondii seroprevalence rates were 15% and 10%, respectively. The prevalence of FeLV p27 antigen and of FIV antibodies in the study population was zero. Cystoisospora spp. oocysts were detected in one cat. These preliminary results show that the transmission of T. foetus infection in cluster conditions may occur between asymptomatic cats and young or immunocompromised animals. more...
- Published
- 2011
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